Vivian Qiu, Life Line Braid, 2023-ongoing, cotton, wool, nylon, metallic thread, Photo: Geraldine Lewa.

Vivian Qiu shares the story of her ongoing Life Line Braid, a growing piece of wearable textile art that serves as a tactile journal documenting her personal journey, emotions, and life philosophy.

(A message to the reader in Mandarin.)

(A message to the reader in English.)

“Your legacy is every life you’ve touched.”

Maya Angelou

Wherever I travel, I bring my Life Line Braid with me. It has slowly become a bigger and heavier yarn ball after more than two years of braiding. It’s still growing—like a living thing in itself. You’d be surprised by how much weight the gathering thread and the memories associated with it carry.

I began the braid in May 2023, while studying jewellery design in Stockholm—a place where I finally slowed down my breathing and found my body’s rhythm. One breath at a time: inhale and exhale. Sometimes, I felt zen after my daily meditation on my bed in the dorm, sunlight streaming in during the cold, snowy winter. Other times, I was troubled by memories of the past, my body frozen, forgetting how to breathe. I had to mentally remind myself to open my nostrils wider—to inhale, and then exhale.

It was the braiding that kept me company and pulled me back to the present. I’d sit by the lake, watching local Swedish families lying aimlessly under the sun. Or I’d hop on the next bus and head somewhere without a destination in mind. Mindfulness or mindlessness? When I’m braiding, do I feel my mind? Is my mind full of thoughts, past and future? Or is my mind absent, simply focused on the twisted wool yarn I’m playing with between my fingers?

Over time, the braid started whispering to me. It wanted to show me something my mind was too occupied or too blinded to see.

Here, your body was feeling tense. Your family told you to get married because you were becoming old and less “wanted” in the Chinese marriage market. I could feel your frustration and see how tightly you were pulling each yarn.

Here, you were confused by why I suddenly changed my appearance. You were deeply troubled by your default beliefs about what is right and what is wrong. But luckily, you were quick to understand what I wanted you to unlearn.

There, the gold metallic thread—you were experiencing pure joy and the hopefulness of life itself, because your career as an artist was flourishing.

I could hear the braid responding to my silent questions about life and challenges, or echoing and confirming my thoughts back to me.

I carried the Life Line Braid with me to workshops and artist talks, sharing its stories with the audience before teaching them the braiding technique—so they, too, could connect with their bodily sensations and emotions, and document their own life stories in a tactile braid. People often told me they resonated with the story, or the wisdom embedded in the braid. One visitor left a note:

“I was very moved by the honesty in your life story, which resonates with a lot of my experience of grief and illness. I particularly liked the comment, ‘If we don’t know how to die, we don’t know how to live.’”

In June 2025, I ran a workshop for a group. Before I finished sharing the story of the braid, one elderly Asian woman interrupted me mid-sentence: “Can we move on? I just want to learn braiding, not listen to your stories.” Another elderly Australian woman smiled, half-joking, and pointed her finger at me: “You’ve got a lot of problems.” That was the only time I received such a negative response, despite many story-sharing sessions.

The stories captured in the braid may sometimes trigger people. Some may unconsciously project their annoyance or discomfort onto me, as if I were the problem. But the world is our mirror. What we see is who we are. What we believe makes up our realities. That’s the story the Life Line Braid has taught me.

The Life Line Braid continues to capture my feelings and bodily sensations, documenting my journey since May 2023. This braiding practice is a simple yet powerful way to process my experiences with grief, relationship changes, and personal growth. People have influenced my life in meaningful ways, and I hope the story conveyed in the braid can resonate with and perhaps influence yours.

The beauty of the braid lies in its non-goal-driven nature. I can’t plan what I want to achieve in ten years; it requires taking one step at a time. This may contradict the fast-paced society in which people often try to speed up their lives in pursuit of achievement. Sometimes, while braiding, I don’t fully understand what I’m experiencing. It may take two years, or even ten, for me to look back and finally grasp the meaning behind certain life situations. The braid serves as a personal journal, helping me process complex emotions.

The documentary film shares my life journey and story since 2023. I invite you to reflect, find solace, and process your personal experiences. Please take your time to watch the video; hopefully, it will offer you some insight.

About Vivian Qiu

Vivian Qiu is a jewellery artist, raised in China and lives in Melbourne. Her background in jewellery and fashion informs her innovative approach to wearable art and sculpture. Her practice explores life’s meaning, cultural identity, healing, and oracle bone script—the most ancient Chinese language used for future prediction. Visit vivianqiustudio.com

Tags

G41 | Melbourne | ritual | textiles